1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multilayer capacitor.
2. Related Background Art
Known as this kind of multilayer capacitor is one comprising a multilayer body in which a plurality of dielectric layers and a plurality of inner electrodes are alternately laminated, and a plurality of terminal conductors formed on the multilayer body.
Power supplies for central processing units (CPUs) mounted in digital electronic devices have been increasing their load current and load transients while lowering their voltage. Therefore, it has become very difficult to suppress the fluctuation in power supply voltage under a tolerable level in response to a drastic change in load current, whereby a multilayer capacitor known as decoupling capacitor has come into use so as to be connected to a power supply. At the time when the load current fluctuates transiently, the multilayer capacitor supplies a current to the CPU, thereby suppressing the fluctuation of the power supply voltage.
In recent years, as the CPUs have further been raising their operating frequencies, the load current and load transients have been becoming faster and greater, whereby, the multilayer capacitor used in the decoupling capacitor is demanded to increase its capacity and equivalent series resistance (ESR) and lower its equivalent series inductance (ESL) to help maintain a constant impedance loadline over a broad frequency spectrum. Therefore, a multilayer capacitor whose terminal conductor has a multilayer structure including an inner resistance layer, so as to increase the equivalent series resistance has been under consideration. Traditional means to lower the ESL of a capacitor have also resulted in the lowering of ESR. The CPU system levels of needed impedance (as it relates to ESR) have been met by current products to the point that they need to be raised, while continuing to drive ESL lower.